A tensioning operation preparatory to weaving involves arranging nearly 10,000 warp threads in parallel in the form of a sheet, but there has heretofore been no satisfactory apparatus that conducts this operation automatically, and the thread tensioning operation still depends on manual labor in the present state of the art.
However, it is difficult to tension warp threads by a manual operation so that the degrees of overlap, inclination, tension and density of the threads always conform to specified amounts. Such a thread tensioning operation needs experienced and skilled laborers and also requires a great deal of time. In addition, if the tensioning of threads is not effectively performed, the operating efficiency of a drawing device that draws threads is also lowered.